The Place of the Lion

Browse related Subjects

If ideas are more dangerous than material things, what happens when ideas become matter? Near a crossroad in the country town of Smetham, a retired philosopher is felled by what appears to be a huge lion. The lion vanishes, leaving the seemingly untouched man in a coma. But over the next few days, more creatures start to appear - Platonic ...
Read More

If ideas are more dangerous than material things, what happens when ideas become matter? Near a crossroad in the country town of Smetham, a retired philosopher is felled by what appears to be a huge lion. The lion vanishes, leaving the seemingly untouched man in a coma. But over the next few days, more creatures start to appear - Platonic archetypes stalk the English countryside, and the inhabitants of Smetham begin to display unsettlingly animalistic traits. The worlds of matter and ideas are colliding. It is down to two unlikely heroes to banish the ideas back to the spiritual realm and save the world. First published in 1933, "The Place of the Lion" is the third supernatural thriller by Charles Williams, a member of the Inklings whose theological interests embraced Rosicrucianism as well as mainstream Christianity.
Read Less

Customer Reviews

The Place of the Lion
by Charles Williams

Multiple Meanings in The Place of the Lion

In The Place of the Lion Williams writes an elaborate Revelations kind of prophecy, blending realism with the supernatural and symbolic. The place of the lion is earth; the lion is both a Form for the supernatural beings medievalists called Intelligences, and the symbol for man, as the lion in the story is a hybrid of both. This is the opposite of what Williams? friend, C.S. Lewis, made of the lion in The Chronicles of Narnia, where it symbolized God. In Williams? book this is the eagle. The eagle is also the Form the protagonist, Anthony, identifies with, if not interchanges with. Other animals represent multiple meanings too, such as the snake is a literal threat to Anthony, as well as a Form, such as Aristotle called it, for the supernatural force to come into our world, and the symbol for Satan or evil.

The mixture of meanings reflects the theme of the other world opening up into, and destroying, this world. Williams portrays the chaos and confusion this could cause, and the various kinds of reactions by characters. The most substantial characters ? Anthony, Damaris, his beloved, and his friend Quentin ? all have some knowledge of the supernatural world as depicted in literature and the Bible, but they don?t necessarily believe it until it impinges on their world. For instance, Damaris studies and writes her thesis on medieval literature, specifically Abelard. She is aware of the religious beliefs of the period, but she does not share them. They are only of academic interest. It is only after an encounter in which Abelard comes alive, and becomes death, that she realizes the truth ? that Abelard was real, not just an historical figure or concept.

Williams integrates his interest in philosophy and literature without becoming overbearing or too obscure (a criticism made by friends of other works of his). Christianity is the true account to which the story conforms, but it also incorporates Plato?s Ideas, Aristotle?s Forms, and the argument between universals and specifics that Abelard became noted for, at least in his own autobiography.

Alibris, the Alibris logo, and Alibris.com are registered trademarks of Alibris, Inc.

Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited, Baker & Taylor, Inc., or by their respective licensors, or by the publishers, or by their respective licensors. For personal use only. All rights reserved. All rights in images of books or other publications are reserved by the original copyright holders.